Crowd drama rocks Brisbane concert but the Killers still got soul
By Alex Condon
Back in Bris Vegas, synth-rock’s favourite Las Vegans the Killers proved they’re still a world-class live act with a greatest-hits show – despite one fan collapsing and another kicked out.
Supported by Melbourne’s Radio Free Alice on the Australian leg of their tour – apart from one recent show in Townsville with Jet – it was also the first time back on stage for founding guitarist Dave Keuning and bassist Mark Stoermer, who don’t tour regularly any more.
The tour was mostly a listening party for their 2023 greatest hits album Rebel Diamonds – albeit in different order to the official track list, while two shows (only in Sydney and Melbourne) saw the performance of their 2004 debut album Hot Fuss in full.
After 20-plus years, the Killers are still a world-class live act.Credit: Chris Phelps
However, after blasting through early hits such as Read My Mind, Somebody Told Me and Jenny Was a Friend of Mine at Boondall’s Entertainment Centre, the show wasn’t without a few hitches amid a Brissie heatwave.
During the performance of On Top, frontman Brandon Flowers stopped the music mid-song as a woman appeared to have collapsed in the moshpit area – and, ever the gentleman of rock, he waited until she had been safely taken outside before resuming the set.
Later, a similar song stoppage occurred when it appeared a rowdy male fan was ejected from the show.
The Killers were in top form at their Brisbane show.Credit: Chris Phelps
The Killers’ discography is an exceptional blend of ’80s-inspired synthpop and Springsteen-esque Americana (a lot of small-town girls/boys dreaming big etc) yet their songs still feel contemporary and never a mere cliche tribute to past rock.
In particular, Flowers was at his exuberant best and Ronnie Vannucci Jr’s first-rate drumming echoed through the arena, driving every classic hit from The Man (complete with pink confetti explosion) to All These Things That I’ve Done, with its rousing crowd chant of “I’ve got soul but I’m not a soldier” (what does it all mean?!).
A brilliant cover of INXS’ Don’t Change ended the main set, before an encore that included Human and the unsurprising closer: the now-iconic anthem Mr Brightside – with another “got soul, not a soldier” thrown in at the end.
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